“Government And Health Bosses Should Listen To Advice Of Visiting Specialist”
“The government and its bosses running district health boards should listen to the sensible and practical advice of
visiting Swedish cardiologist Dr Lars Eklund,” said Mr Ian Powell, Executive Director of the Association of Salaried
Medical Specialists, today.
Dr Eklund is completing a 10-month temporary position at Wairau Hospital in Blenheim and has recommended an increase in
the number of senior doctors and a reduction of the time spent on after-hours call rosters.
“Dr Eklund’s independent assessment is most welcome. He commends the high quality work undertaken by senior doctors at
Blenheim working facing serious difficulties of staff shortages and onerous working conditions. The situation he
describes in Blenheim is also applicable in the rest of New Zealand, especially provincial hospitals. He is well placed
to make useful international comparisons.”
“He is absolutely correct in highlighting the onerousness of working on high frequency after-hours emergency call
rosters that are so stressful and dangerous for senior doctors who have no option but to work them. He is also correct
in noting the shortage of senior doctors, no doubt drawing upon his experience in his home country of Sweden.”
“New Zealand needs more senior doctors covering a full range of high quality specialist services. To achieve this we
need a far greater improvement in workforce planning and in monitoring onerous workloads and the buck for this stops
with the government and its district health boards,” concluded Mr Powell.